This invention relates, in general, to fabrication of optical devices and, more particularly, to manufacturing and fabrication of optical waveguides.
This application is related to copending application that bears Ser. No. 07/889,335, titled MOLDED WAVEGUIDE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME, filed on May 28, 1992 (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,184).
At present, optical waveguides are made in a variety of methods, such as photolithography, diffusion, ion implantation, or a combination of any of the above. Generally, these methods used for manufacturing waveguides are complex, inefficient, and are generally not suitable for high volume manufacturing. However, as use of optical waveguides increase, a need for a fabrication method and a structure that allows for efficient and cost effective manufacturing will be required.
Additionally, use of conventional methods for manufacturing waveguides do not provide sufficient flexibility for manufacturing multiple waveguides or modular waveguides, thereby making waveguides difficult to assimilate into standard electronic circuits and electronic components. As a result, these inflexible conventional methods limit use of waveguides for interconnection applications in standard electronic equipment, thus use of waveguides in high volume applications is severely curtailed.
Further, conventional methods for manufacturing waveguides required individual processing that is achieved by hand. Processing that is achieved by hand injects many problems into manufacturing, such as being extremely labor intensive, costly, accuracy of workmanship that result in waveguides not being allowed to be manufactured in high volume. Moreover, individual fabrication of waveguides do not readily lend itself to automated manufacturing, thus causing limited use of waveguides in electronic products.
It can be readily seen that conventional methods for manufacturing waveguides have severe limitations. Also, it is evident that conventional methods for manufacturing waveguides are not only ineffective, expensive, and complex, but also do not lend themselves to high volume manufacturing. Therefore, a method for manufacturing waveguides in an automatic effective manner would be highly desirable.